


Double Trouble

by Nightimer



Category: Titanic (1997)
Genre: Corporal Punishment, Discipline, Family Dynamics, Gen, Punishment, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-18 07:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8154581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightimer/pseuds/Nightimer
Summary: Officer's Lowe and Moody get into a little fight on the bridge. Captain Smith, Wilde and Lightoller are not happy.





	1. It all started so innocently

**Author's Note:**

> I am totally obsessed with the Titanic in case that isn't obvious. This is not a reflection on the real people who were on Titanic, more like the characters portrayed in James Cameron's Titanic. Especially Fifth officer Lowe. Sorry for mistakes. Enjoy!

It had all started so innocently. Both _Titanic_ officers were tired from their four hours on, and four hours off shift rotations and admittedly, their tempers were a bit short due to lack of sleep when they started their early morning watch on the bridge. It began when fifth officer Harold Lowe accidentally bumped into sixth officer James Moody's arm, causing the younger man to drop his cup of tea.

"Hey!" Moody peevishly addressed Lowe. "Why don't you look where you're going." Lowe, still somewhat groggy, threw a glare at the other officer.

"I was, no one told you to stop right in front of me now did they?" He snapped back in his strong Welsh accent as he bent over to wipe tea off his right boot. Both young men prudently chose to ignore the other for the time being.

Next was when Moody accidentally poked Lowe in the eye when he handed over the binoculars.

After that, Lowe "accidentally" pinched one of Moody's fingers in the engine telegraph.

Moody "accidentally" tripped the other officer as he passed.

Lowe shoved Moody in his shoulder.

Moody knocked Lowe's officer's cap clean off his head.

"That's it you little shite!" Lowe yelled as he tackled the younger man to the deck. Both men ignored the shouts from the helmsman in the wheel house behind them as they scuffled on the floor. Lowe finally pinned Moody to the deck and was about to land a solid hit when he felt a hand fist in the collar of his pea-coat and jerk hard, forcibly pulling him up off Moody and to his feet.

"What in the bloody hell do you two idiots think you are doing!?" A voice practically yelled in his ear. Lowe's mouth went dry. He could see Moody being manhandled to his feet in the same manner by Second officer Lightoller.

"Well?!" Chief officer Wilde asked again as he shook Lowe by his collar. Moody was also given a shake to help loosen his tongue by Lightoller but both young men were too shocked by the sudden turn of events to mutter much more than unintelligent apologies.

"What is going on here?" Captain Smith ordered as he angrily stormed onto the bridge. Wilde and lightoller both let go of their respective charges and all four officers turned to face their captain at attention. As the most senior officer of the four, Wilde attempted to explain the situation as well as he could even though he didn't know much more than the captain.

"Sir, I was making my rounds on the boat deck when I heard shouting from the bridge. I met Mister Lightoller on the way and we both rushed to the bridge to find these two...," He jerked his chin to indicate the two junior officers, "...scuffling on the floor like a couple of school boys. We separated them just as you arrived Sir." Wilde finished. Smith stared hard at the two miscreants who were stood side by side, argument forgotten, united at last in their fear over Smith's reaction.

"Is that your estimation of it as well Mister Lightoller?" Captain Smith asked the tall man, eyes never leaving the two officers in question. Lowe could feel his heart racing and knew that Moody must be feeling the same.

"That's right sir." He replied simply. Lowe clasped his hands tightly behind him in nervousness. He watched as Smith clenched his jaw. Not a good sign. Smith glanced at the wheelhouse and seemed to ponder something for a moment before turning back to glare at the two nervous officers.

"You two, stay where you are." Smith barked at the younger men who jumped at the sudden command.

"Yes Sir!" Both officers replied simultaneously as Smith turned towards the starboard entrance of the bridge, beckoning his more senior officers to follow.

"If I can't trust you to act like officers, then I certainly can't trust you to tell the truth." Smith said as he walked out the open side entrance and back into the wheelhouse where the helmsman was watching with wide eyes. Lowe and Moody's stomachs fell at the comment and both shared a guilty look with the other before focusing their attention back on the wheel house.

They watched as the helmsman explained to the captain and the two senior officers what he had seen and both junior officers were dismayed with the gestures he was making, obviously pantomiming the dropped tea, the poke in the eye, the pinched fingers. Lowe looked away when the helmsman mimed shoving someone in the shoulder and stared at his fallen hat that lay several feet from him.

A few moments later Smith, Wilde, and Lightoller reentered the bridge and stood before them. Lowe could feel their eyes on him and had to force himself to stand still. Unable to take a moment more of the loaded silence, Lowe tried to stammer out an apology.

"Sir I apologize, it was..." Smith's stern voice cut him off mid sentence.

"Quiet Mister Lowe, I've already heard all I want to about this whole disgraceful display." Smith nodded towards Wilde and Lightoller who each took an arm of a junior officer and led them to opposite sides of the bridge.

"Sir?" Lowe heard Moody ask nervously as he was led by Lightoller to the port side wall. As for himself, Lowe found himself being escorted to the starboard side wall by Wilde, the grip on his upper arm firm and unyielding.

"If you want to act like children on MY ship than you will be treated like one." Smith stated as Lowe was turned to face the bow. He assumed that the same was being done to Moody.

"Kneel down." He commanded. "On your knee's both of you, hands on your head." Smith added, his usually soft tone transformed into hard steel. Lowe felt his heart skip a beat. He tried to turn around to look at the captain but Wilde gripped his upper arms from behind and turned him back around.

"Eyes forward." Wilde commanded sternly.

" _Now_ , gentleman." Smith ordered. With no other choice available to them at the moment, officers Lowe and Moody sank down to their knee's. Lowe placed his hands on top of his thick wavy dark hair, fingers interlocking. He saw Moody do the same out the corner of his eye except his finger's were interlocked over his officer's cap that he had somehow kept during their impromptu row. 

"Backs straight." Smith barked and both young men straightened their spines. The position was uncomfortable, the wooden deck was hard on their knees and Lowe knew before too long his back and arm muscles would tire and become sore.

"Mister Moody, Mister Lowe." Smith began as paced between them. "I am deeply disappointed in both of you. You are supposed to be the best of the best and yet I come to find you two fighting like a couple of scoundrels. I will not have it on my ship and I will not have it of my officers!"

 Wilde and Lightoller stepped back and stood near the telephone, silent witnesses to a spectacular dressing down. Smith continued to berate his two junior officers for some time as the two sullen men stared straight ahead at the white and brown paneled wood of the deck house, completely miserable. After what must have been around ten minutes of verbally chastising his two troublesome officers, Smith brought his lecture to a close with the childish punishment of a box to the ear for both of them.

Lowe yelped in surprise, as did Moody when it had been his turn, and just barely managed to keep position. Getting boxed on the ear hurts and it had been many years since Lowe had experienced that particular sensation.

"You will stay in this position for twenty minutes, after which Mister Wilde will release you. I expect you both to use that time to think over your recent actions and how unacceptable they are to an officer of the White Star Line."

"Yes Sir." Both subdued men answered together. Lowe heard captain Smith walk up behind him and he tensed, expecting another box to the ear. Instead he felt a hand tug at his left wrist, pulling his hands apart and off his head.

"You are out of uniform Mister Lowe." He heard Smith say as he felt his cap being placed back on his head. 

"See to it that it doesn't happen again." Smith added with a firm tap to the top of the cap, setting the accessory more firmly on his head.

"Yes Sir." Lowe answered.

"Back in position." Smith ordered and Lowe obediently interlocked his hands over his cap. He heard Smith walk over and speak softly to the two senior officers.

"Do not let them move from those positions until the time I have ordered. Don't let them speak, this is to be a time of reflection. I want those arms up and backs straight until they are released. Is that understood?" Smith asked.

"Yes Sir." Both officers returned respectfully.

"Good. At least I still have some officers on board that I can rely on." The captain stated as he made his way off the bridge. An uncomfortable silence was left in his wake.

"What a way to start a watch." Chief officer Wilde muttered. Lowe was unsure if he was speaking to himself or to Lightoller. 

"Yes..." Lowe heard someone walk up behind him."...When I signed on, I was unaware that baby sitting would be part of my duties." Lightoller responded, a hint of irritation coloring his voice.

"Should have known it was this one's fault." The second officer added tiredly. Lowe clenched his teeth in anger at the comment. So he had a temper. So did anyone if the right buttons were pushed. He huffed in irritation as he stared at the wall before him, frustrated that he couldn't defend himself due to smith's order of silence. Lightoller must of sensed this fore he made an attempt to sooth the younger officer.

"Alright, easy now, I meant nothing by it." Lightoller said with a placating pat to Lowe's tense shoulder. The gesture did little to ease the tension the younger man was feeling and Lowe fervently wished time would just go faster so he could escape this whole humiliating experience.

"Well this one shares a bit of the blame as well I believe." Wilde stated from the other side of the bridge where officer Moody was kneeling. Lowe imagined Wilde standing behind Titanic's most junior officer with his arms crossed and a disapproving frown marring his usually pleasant face. Good. At least they weren't putting it all on him.

"Let's leave them be for now Mister Lightoller." Wilde began as he made his way to the center of the bridge, directly between the two young officers. "We do have more pressing duties to attend to after all." Lowe heard Lightoller step away from him.

"Right, well let us hope that the Captain's solution will be enough to put an end to any further conduct issues." Lightoller stated sternly as he went to join Wilde.

"It better." Was all the other man said in reply. The unspoken warning was all too clear to the two kneeling officers. Lowe heard Moody shift uncomfortably, whether from nervousness or pain he wasn't sure, but the movement was an unwanted reminder of his own discomfort and he found himself shifting as well. Lowe's irritation at his friend was beginning to grow again.

Twenty minutes doesn't normally seem like a long time but when you're on your knees on a hard wood floor with your arms held over your head, it can feel like an eternity. Lowe was hyper aware of every muscle in his back and arms as he tried to hold position. His arms were beginning to feel heavier and heavier and his knee's were complaining something fierce. As the minutes ticked by, the fifth officer found himself slouching slightly more and more to help alleviate the strain on his back. So focused was he on his discomfort, Lowe hadn't realized how far out of position he had actually gone until Lightoller's voice startled him from directly behind.

"Straighten up there Mister Lowe, you heard what the captain said." The mild rebuke was accompanied by a firm hand on his shoulder and another to the center of his back, applying gentle but persistent pressure, causing him to straighten his spine automatically. When he was back in the proper position, the hands disappeared after one final warning tap to his back.

"Now stay that way, I don't want to have to correct you again." Lowe ground his teeth. Why couldn't they just leave him alone? Why did they have to focus so much of their attention on him and not officer Moody? It didn't escape Lowe's notice that Moody didn't receive a similar rebuke and that made his temper flare in response. 

He tensed his muscles and gripped his interwoven fingers so tightly his knuckles turned white before he let go in a fit of anger and brought his hands down to his sides. He turned his head away from the wall and was about to give Lightoller a piece of his mind when he felt a body press up behind him and almost knock him over. He had only a moment to realize that someone had gone down on their own knee beside him and was pressed up against his back when he felt a hand grab his left wrist firmly and raise his arm, smacking his own hand down hard on the top of his head and held it there. 

"You just can't _listen_ can you." Wilde's voice growled directly into his left ear. Lowe felt Wilde reach around him and grab his right wrist, once again pulling his arm up and smacking Lowe on the head with his own hand.

"Interlock your fingers _now_!" Harold Lowe had never done anything more quickly in his life. He felt Wilde release his wrists and place one hand on his right shoulder near his neck. Then he squeezed.

"Ah!" Lowe yelped in pain as the older man squeezed the bundle of nerves near his neck. It was incredibly painful and Lowe hunched in on himself and grimaced. It was the kind of thing a school teacher would do to a student when he needed a quick chastisement and didn't have the time to dish out a proper thrashing. Wilde held the hold for only a moment before letting go. Lowe sucked in a breath of relief as the pain quickly subsided.

"This is your last warning lad, stay in position or I will make you regret it." Wilde hissed in his ear.

"Yes Sir." Lowe replied quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was call Wilde's bluff. He felt Wilde push himself to his feet with the help of Lowe's shoulder and step away.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Lightoller mumbled as Wilde made his way passed him.

"I trust you'll be able to do so without such reminders Mister Lightoller." The older man answered as Lowe stared miserably ahead, wishing he could massage the spot on his shoulder but too terrified to do so.

"Yes Sir." Lightoller replied with a hint of laughter in his voice. Lowe sighed in defeat as he waited for his and Moody's sentence to be up. While he never heard a sound out of him, there was no doubt in his mind that the other officer was having a silent laugh at his expense.

The little shite.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said there would be spanking in chapter two but the story got away from me so it will now be in chapter 3, promise. Also, to make it seem what I do to these characters seem less horrible, just pretend that in this timeline the Titanic does sink but the Californian comes to the rescue and everyone is saved. But don't worry, there is no sinking in this story. Enjoy.

"Alright lads, times up." Lightoller said with obvious relief. Lowe guessed that the older officers were just as happy to be done with the punishment as he and Moody were. Lowe let his hands fall from his cap and shook them slightly to get rid of the tingling sensation as slumped back on his heels.

"Bloody hell that was awful." Lowe heard Moody say as he turned and observed the younger man as he sat back on his haunches, rubbing at his aching thighs.

"I think my knees are asleep. Can knees be asleep?" Lowe complained as he slowly raised himself up off the floor. Wilde came over and helped him up with a sturdy hand under his arm. Lightoller did the same with Moody. Both officers quickly bent over to rub at their sore knees with a chorus of moans and complaints. Wilde tsk'd reproachfully at their antics.

"You two have no one to blame but yourselves." He lectured as the younger officers straightened up and began massaging their lower backs. Lowe glanced over to him but just as quickly averted his gaze. Wilde's earlier warning, as well as the painful pinch were still too fresh in his mind for him to be anything but respectful.

"Yes Sir." He answered sullenly as he rubbed his shoulder at the spot Wilde had squeezed. Wilde simply raised an eyebrow in return as he regarded the Welshman.

"I hope you've learned your lessons. I know the Captain won't stand for anymore disagreeable behavior from you lot and just so you are aware, neither shall I." Wilde said as he stood before the two junior officers. He pointed a finger directly at Lowe's face.

"You got that?" He questioned sternly. Lowe once more felt like he had been placed on the spot and his irritation at being singled out was difficult to restrain. But restrain it he did and he was pleased at how respectful he sounded when he replied with another "Yes Sir." which was echoed by Moody.

"Right, you two go make yourselves scarce." Lightoller began as he grabbed an arm in each hand and dragged the two young men to the starboard bridge opening and pushed them out. "We have work to do and I for one, would like to put this whole mess behind us."

"Yes Sir." Came the now expected response.

"Good, now apologize to each other and shake hands." Lightoller ordered. Lowe and Moody eyed each other warily, both still too angry with the other to forgive and forget.

"Come, come now, I don't have all day. Shake hands, that's an order." Lightoller said as he placed his hands on his hips and stared them down, a note of finality in his voice. Knowing they had no other choice, Lowe and Moody turned to each other and grasped hands.

"Sorry old man." Lowe mumbled as he shook Moody's hand.

"No hard feelings." Was the muted reply. Both promptly ended the shake and dropped their hands to their sides, hoping the display had been enough to satisfy the second officer. Lightoller nodded once, knowing this was the best he would get out of them at the moment.

"Splendid, now off with you." He said as he made shooing gestures with his hands before dismissing them entirely to walk back onto the bridge. Both junior officers stared after him for a moment before casting quick glances at the other. Two sets of eyes narrowed and the unspoken message was clear. This was 'not' over. They abruptly turned their backs on each other and began making their way to opposite ends of the ship. _Titanic_ may have been the longest ship ever built by man, but 882 and a half feet were just not long enough for the two disgruntled officers.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Hours later Lowe was making his way along C deck, taking in the cooling air, when he spotted two people standing at the bow's railing. That part of the bow was off limits to passengers and it was his duty to send them off. He took the stairs down to the forward deck well, then took the other set of stairs leading to the forecastle.

"Excuse me sir, miss. No passengers are allowed this far forward. I'm going to have to ask you to return to the passenger area." The couple apologized and quickly scampered off down the stairs and off into the slowly fading light. Lowe watched them for a moment before he turned back to the bow. He walked up to the railing where the couple had recently stood and looked out over the ocean as it sped by. He grabbed onto the wire rigging with one hand for support, and admired the picture before him.

"You have to admit, it is one hell of a view." He said quietly to himself as the breeze ruffled his clothes. The sound of footsteps climbing the forecastle ladder caused him to turn in surprise, thinking the young couple had come back. Unfortunately, it was actually sixth officer Moody who was finishing his rounds of the deck before he reported back to the bridge.

When Moody finally looked up and saw Lowe standing there at the bow, he stopped and almost retreated down the ladder. The two men had been childishly avoiding each other for most of the day and had been surprisingly successful at it, but Moody didn't want to appear like he was doing so now, so he continued up the last few steps on the ladder and made his way over to the other officer.

"Good evening." Moody said cordially, silently praying that they could interact like the officers they were supposed to be, and not the children the other _Titanic_ officers thought they were. His hopes were soon dashed as Lowe eyed him peevishly. He clasped his hands behind his back and looked down his nose at the younger man.

"Evening James, no tea this time? I suppose it's for the best. Wouldn't want you to _spill_ it after all." Lowe sarcastically replied as he made to brush by the other man. A hand on his arm stopped him and he glared at Moody.

"You know, you should really get your head out of your arse. You'd be a lot more pleasant to be around if you did Harry." Moody snapped back as Lowe angrily shrugged off his hold. Lowe faced him square on.

"Don't you go tellin me what to do! You may have graduated from the naval academy but I'm still your superior aboard this ship!" Lowe said angrily, poking the younger man in the chest several times, his accent more pronounced with the change in his emotions. Moody smacked his finger away.

"Then act like it you arrogant clod! Honestly, it must be that fiery welsh blood in you that keeps you from reining in that temper of yours!" Moody yelled back. Both officers were too engrossed in their argument to notice the few third class passengers and crew that were milling about on the forward deck, watch them in curiosity.

"Oh I'll show you blood but it wont be welsh." Lowe hissed as he grabbed Moody by his lapels and shoved him hard into the curved railing directly behind the huge main anchor underneath the deck. Moody fell hard but grabbed onto Lowe's wrists as he grabbed at Moody's jacket again.

"Get off!" The younger man yelled as Lowe bent him further back against the railing. They struggled for just a moment, each trying to get the upper hand before both men froze as they heard the unmistakably sharp blast from an officer's whistle. They both turned, still entangled, to stare up at the bridge where they could just make out Officer Wilde gesturing angrily at them from the starboard bridge wing.

Lowe turned back to look at Moody.

Moody turned to look at Lowe.

"Uh oh." They both said in unison, eyes wide. Lowe quickly released the sixth officer and stepped back a few steps. Moody straightened up and brushed himself off. They turned back to the bridge to see that Lightoller had joined the Chief officer and Wilde was now pointing sternly at them. He then pointed forcibly to the deck beside him. The message was clear and both officers swallowed nervously.

"He looks very angry." Moody began as he stood next to his friend. Lowe nodded.

"Have you seen the brig yet?" Lowe questioned. Moody looked at him in confusion at the non sequitur.

"No, why do you ask?" The younger man replied.

"Because I think we're about to." Lowe said as he smiled humorously at him. Moody grimaced in response. Without saying another word, both men knew that their argument was over for good. They were on the same side now and they were going to need all the support they could get.

"He does look very angry." Moody nervously pointed out as Wilde gestured again for them to start back to the bridge.

"Yes, perhaps a little too angry." Lowe answered. The memory of Wilde's own little form of physical discipline flashed uncomfortably through his thoughts. Suddenly, seeing that the two junior officers were not answering his summons, Wilde pushed away from the rail and quickly began making his way down the decks towards them, no doubt to retrieve his errant officers himself. Lightoller followed, taking the port side stairs. Both officers stiffened in alarm.

"Bloody hell!" Lowe gulped. "Right, let's make ourselves scarce and give them time to cool off a little." He said hurriedly as he ran across the deck to the stairs. Moody followed worriedly behind him.

"Wait!" Moody grabbed the back of his jacket and brought him to a stop. Lowe twisted back to look at him questioningly.

"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" Moody whispered into his ear, looking around him as if he was anxious about being overheard contemplating disobeying a superior officer's orders. Lowe turned back to see Wilde sprinting down the stairs to C deck on one side and Lightoller not far behind on the other side. He quickly turned back to Moody.

"Yes, I do, and if this plan is to work, we need to leave _NOW_!" Lowe turned back around and ran down the stairs to the well deck. Their only hope of escape was the lower entrance to the third class passenger decks located on the far side of the well deck past the two smaller cargo hatches. He didn't wait to see if Moody followed. Only a few passengers were left on the deck as it was almost dinner time and Lowe only had a few people to dodge as he made his way forward.

"Just a little further..." He mumbled to himself. He had just made it past the first hatch when he spotted Wilde coming down the stairs to the well deck. He skidded to a stop as Wilde glared daggers at him. Lowe saw Lightoller make a bee line to his right, no doubt on his way to head off Moody.

"Oh boy'o, you just made the worst mistake of your life." Wilde called to him as he stalked down the last few steps. Lowe began to back up.

"We were just on our way up to the bridge Sir." Lowe lied as he took another step back. He bumped into the hatch cover and laid a hand to it to keep from running into it again.

"I just bet you were." Wilde growled as he made his way across the deck. The look on his face was positively thunderous.

"Sir, please. I think you should calm down." Lowe begged as he quickly put the hatch between himself and the angry Chief officer. Wilde's expression darkened when he saw what the fifth officer was up to.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop this nonsense right now." Wilde quickly turned the corner of the hatch, hoping to be quick enough to surprise the younger man. Up in the crows nest both officers could hear Fredrick Fleet and Reginald Lee encouraging the game of cat and mouse, each lookout cheering on a different officer.

"Please, can't we be reasonable about this?" Lowe tried as he dodged to the right as Wilde tried to snag him from the left.

"The only reasonable thing I'm going to do is put my boot up your arse!" Wilde ground out between clenched teeth as he dodged around the other side, narrowly avoiding Lowe's jacket sleeve. Realizing that talking it out wasn't an option any longer, Lowe, who had made his way around the hatch to where his back towards the stairs, made a break for it. He took two steps before he was yanked to a stop by a hand clenched around his tie, nearly strangling himself in the process. In his preoccupation with avoiding Wilde, he had completely forgotten about Lightoller. He looked at the tall second officer in surprise as Lightoller held his tie like a leash, before he was quickly grabbed from behind by Wilde to both cheers and boos from the crows nest.

"Got you, you little..." Wilde was too much of a gentleman to finish his comment but not too much of one to stop himself giving Lowe a right hard smack to the back of the head that nearly knocked the younger officer's cap off. Wilde fisted one hand in the back of Lowe's jacket collar and the other gripped his right arm hard.

"What should we do with them Sir now that we've got them?" Lightoller asked calmly as he held Moody firmly by his collar. He cast a disapproving look at the young man in his charge.

"You can do what you please with that one Mister Lightoller. This one..." Wilde shook Lowe for emphasis,"...is mine, and I think a good hiding will sort him out nicely." Lowe's stomach dropped. A hiding? The fifth officer had expected time in the brig, even a sock in the mouth. He never imagined that a hiding was an option.

"No need to get the Captain involved, this is his last voyage after all. I don't see any reason to bother him with a couple of disciplinary issues." Wilde added as he shook Lowe again.

"Quite right Mister Wilde. Well, I'll leave you to it. Come along you." Lightoller said sternly to the nervous sixth officer. "Let's have a little chat in your cabin shall we?" And with that he dragged Moody away and up the stairs.

"Sir..." Lowe began but Wilde shut him up with another smack to the head. 

"Say one more word and I'll take care of you right here, right now." Wilde hissed in his ear. Lowe shut his mouth and looked nervously around him. While the deck wasn't crowded by any means, there were still too many present for Lowe's liking. He nodded in acceptance, unsure if a 'yes sir' would have brought down the promised retribution or not.

"Good, now why don't we have our own little chat in your cabin?" He asked as he he began to march Lowe towards the stairs, his grip firm and absolute.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any mistakes and enjoy!

Lowe kept his eyes down as Wilde dragged him across the well deck to the stairs. They were a bit too narrow for the two officers to walk up side by side, so Wilde pushed Lowe before him, still gripping the back of the younger man's collar the entire time to prevent any more ill conceived flight attempts. Lowe could feel the curious eyes of the passengers and crew following them as he was manhandled to the top of the stairs and across the deck to the next set of stairs. Two decks later they had reached the boat deck. Wilde frog marched Lowe past the other officer's cabins until he reached the fifth officer's quarters and pulled the younger man up short.

"Get in there you." Wilde ordered as he pushed the door open and shoved the younger man inside. Lowe almost tripped over the threshold with his unexpectedly speedy entrance. Wilde slammed the door behind him and the cabin rang with a note of finality. Lowe stood nervously in the corner of the cabin farthest from the angry chief officer and watched as the older man began taking off his coat. Unsure of what he should do, Lowe fiddled with his tie, loosening it a bit so he could breath a little easier.

"Sir?" Lowe tentatively questioned as Wilde turned his back to hang his coat on one of the hooks attached to the wall. Wilde spared him a glance to mark Lowe's position in the cabin before he took off his cap and placed it on top of his coat.

"Your turn Mister Lowe, take off your coat." Wilde instructed with a nod towards the garment in question as he began rolling up the sleeve of his left arm. The image sent shivers down Lowe's spine. It was an image right out of his childhood that he had never expected to ever witness again.

"Sir please." Lowe pleaded. "Can't we talk about this?" He raised his hands in a submissive gesture, palms up. Wilde, finished with the left, began rolling up his right sleeve.

"You forget Mister Lowe, we already talked about this and you chose to ignore everything that was said." He answered as he finished rolling the sleeve to his elbow. Wilde crossed his now bare arms over his chest and stood in front of the door, barring the only exit available to the young officer.

"But Sir..." Lowe tried again as Wilde stared hard at him, waiting for him to comply. "...you can't mean to actually..." Lowe couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead he made a feeble gesture with one hand, indicating the two of them. Wilde sighed in impatience.

"Look lad, I don't say things I don't mean. And believe me, I intend to give you a right good thrashing that will make you think twice the next time you decide to disobey me." Wilde uncrossed his arms and pointed a finger at the handsome officer. "Now stop stalling and take off your coat. If I have to do it for you, you are going to regret it." He said firmly. Lowe looked around the room in desperation for anything that would help extradite him from this nightmare. Finding nothing, he turned his attention back to the larger man.

"Sir..." He tried one last time to reason with him. Wilde took a step forward and reached out a hand towards him. His expression dark.

"I warned you..." He said ominously. Lowe quickly backed up out of his reach but his retreat was halted all too suddenly by the cabin wall. Lowe held up his hands in surrender.

"No! No, I'm doin it." He quickly said as Wilde stopped his advance and watched him with a close eye. Lowe let out a breath he had been holding and slowly, resignedly, took off his cap. He stood holding it uncertainly for a moment, unsure of where he should place it when Wilde held out a hand.

"Give it here." He ordered. Lowe handed it over and Wilde took it to the wall and placed it on a hook next to his. Lowe began unbuttoning the top of his coat jacket but was finding it difficult to do so with his suddenly numb fingers. Wilde must have taken pity on him fore he stepped in front of him and swatted his hands away.

"Here lad, let me do it. Don't worry, this one wont count against you." He said not unkindly and Lowe nodded in acceptance as Wilde unbuttoned the coat with ease. Lowe was unsure of where to look and his eyes darted nervously around his small cabin. Wilde noticed and hid a smile at the sight. Lowe looked just like one of his children when they were in trouble. He pulled the garment off the other officer's shoulders and laid it over the end of the bed. Lowe stood before him in only his tie, vest, and shirt sleeves. Wilde turned back around and stood directly before his troublesome officer and fixed him with a stern look. He made sure Lowe was looking at him directly and that he had his full attention before he addressed him again.

"Now let us get one thing straight before we begin." He placed one hand on his hip and pointed a finger at Lowe with the other. "You, and you alone are solely responsible for the thrashing you are about to get. You were warned to straighten up and behave like the officer you are, but instead you chose to let your temper get the best of you _again_ and instigated another physical altercation with Mister Moody." He lectured sternly, poking Lowe in the chest several times in emphasis.

"But Sir, I was..."

"Don't even bother trying to explain." Wilde growled. "I was keeping an eye on you two with the binoculars when you decided to put your hands on a fellow officer and start another scene, this time in front of passengers!" Wilde brought his face within inches of Lowe's own. Lowe struggled to not pull away. "I warned you that I would not put up with any more behavior issues with you and you still deliberately disobeyed me." Wilde grabbed Lowe by his right arm and pulled him away from the wall he was cowering against and over to the bed.

"Since you can't seem to listen properly with your ears, will just have to find another way to deliver the message now won't we?" Lowe swallowed hard, his eyes wide in fear. Wilde sat down abruptly and without giving the younger man a chance to resist, pulled Lowe down over his lap. Lowe felt his breathing hitch when his chest landed across Wilde's hard thighs. He threw his hands out in front of him to stop his forwards motion, his hands scrambling on the carpet as his feet lost purchase on the floor. All his weight was now supported by Wilde, and Lowe's heart raced in fear at the total lack of control he now felt. Wilde wrapped an arm over his back and down around his side, his large hand lay flat against his stomach. The hold was a secure one and Lowe knew then that Wilde wasn't going to hold back.

"Sir, this is a mistake! You can't do this! What would the captain say?" Lowe said desperately as he tried to push himself up off Wilde's lap, too appalled that things had gone so far to realize that his efforts were ultimately futile. Wilde pushed him back down easily and leaned further over his back, giving the younger officer even less room to maneuver.

"Probably that someone should have done this sooner." Wilde replied testily as Lowe struggled over his knees. "Now stop squirming. I am not letting you up until you have been punished good and proper." The chief officer added as he raised his hand high and took aim.

"Ow!" Lowe yelped as Wilde's hand connected firmly with his backside. The sudden sting almost took his breath away. He desperately tried to get his feet under him to avoid any more swats but he was disastrously unsuccessful as Wilde rapidly struck him several times in the exact same spot. Lowe cried out in pain and surprise, his hands clenching into fists as the pain momentarily overwhelmed him. 

"There you go not listening again." Wilde lectured him as he started swatting the upset young man over his knee firmly. "I told you that you were not getting up until I thrashed you good." He punctuated his statement with a sharp smack dead center on Lowe's backside. "I only just started."

"I had hoped you were only trying to frighten me!" Lowe yelped as more smacks connected with enough force to rock him slightly forward. He twisted a bit and was able to rest his right hand on Wilde's knee, gripping it for support as his left arm continued to support his upper body.

"You know, I really am starting to question your thought process." Wilde answered as he settled into a rhythm. He aimed most of his swats to the lower part of the buttocks where Lowe would feel it most when he sat down, but he made sure to cover all of the young man's posterior. "Now quiet down and let me get on with this. I would have thought you would want it over with as soon as possible." Lowe shook his head in denial.

"I didn't want this at all!" He complained as the slaps layered on top of each other, causing a lingering and very unpleasant sting. He gripped Wilde's knee harder.

"You should have thought about that before you decided to disobey!" Wilde snapped down at the back of his dark head. He aimed a few smacks to Lowe's upper thighs that sent the welsh officer's toes scrambling against the carpet. "Now quiet _down_!" Wilde scolded as he focused his attention solely on disciplining his fifth officer. He was determined to do a proper job of it. Over and over again the flat of Wilde's hand connected with Lowe's upturned rear. The sound of flesh hitting cloth reverberated startlingly loud around the cabin and Lowe was terrified that the passengers could hear what was going on inside. Interspersed between the slaps were the sounds of Lowe's grunts and hisses of distress. It was hard to remain stoic when you were being repeatedly struck on relatively one part of your anatomy.

His breathing became more ragged as he struggled to cope with the mounting pain. He had forgotten how much a thrashing could hurt and the humiliation was almost too much to bare. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes tightly shut as Wilde continued. He couldn't help his shifting over the other officer's lap, nor did he seem to have any control over his feet as his boots tapped against the carpeted floor. He alternated gripping Wilde's left knee with his hand, and placing both palms flat against the floor for support. After several more minutes of this, Lowe finally couldn't help himself and he twisted his body enough so he could throw his right hand back around Wilde's restraining arm and over his rear in an attempt to shield it.

"Please Sir! No more! I've had enough!" He pleaded as Wilde stopped so he wouldn't strike Lowe's hand and hurt him. He rested his stinging hand on the lad's right hip. He looked down at Lowe and leveled a stern look at the small part of his face he could actually see.

"Remove your hand and face forward Mister Lowe." He said warningly. Lowe shook his head in the negative.

"Please Sir." Wilde could tell that the younger officer was absolutely miserable but he hardened his heart against the sight and spoke firmly to him.

"Do as I say, or it will be worse for you." He ordered. Lowe's hand remained in place.

"It can't possibly get worse than this." Lowe mumbled into the carpet. He felt Wilde shift and lean over his back as he reached for something on Lowe's small dresser top. Apparently he procured what he was after and Lowe felt him lean back up.

"You just made your second biggest mistake boy'o." Wilde growled as he grabbed Lowe's right wrist and held it at the small of his back. The next thing Lowe heard was a loud _WHAP_ as something hard slapped into his backside.

"AH! _Jesus_ , Mary, and Joseph!" Lowe threw his head back and yelled as the new pain blossomed across his right buttock.

"I did warn you Mister Lowe." Wilde chided as he hit him again. It took several more strikes of the item before Lowe was able to figure out what it was that Wilde was swatting him with. It was his own wooden hairbrush! Lowe kicked his feet with every swat, the new pain was so much more intense on his already sore backside than Wilde's hand had ever been.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Lowe wailed as over and over again the back of the hairbrush paddled his poor backside.

"Just making sure of that Mister Lowe." Wilde replied calmly as he firmly and methodically peppered every last inch of his junior officer's behind. Lowe was very vocal near the end as Wilde finally ended the thrashing with one last swat dead center that echoed in the cabin after he had finished. He threw the hairbrush on the bed beside him and released Lowe's captured hand. Lowe brought it forward to twist in his hair, trying to come to terms with the pain. Wilde released his restraining arm and bent over the younger man, resting his arms across his back as he waited patiently for Lowe to calm down. He could feel the younger man breathing quickly under him as the immediate pain began to slowly subside. He took his right hand and began gently patting Lowe on his right side. The touch was surprisingly gentle.

"Alright lad calm down, it's all over." He soothed. He waited a few more minutes until the other man's breathing had slowed down before he reached down and helped him up off his lap. He placed the dark haired man on his feet and stood up as well, watching in amusement as Lowe quickly brought both hands behind him and rubbed at his injured posterior. Lowe refused to look at him. Wilde tapped him under his chin with two fingers, forcing Lowe's head up so their eyes met.

"I hope we have an understanding now Mister Lowe." He said sternly as he regarded the embarrassed young man. Lowe slowly nodded once.

"Yes Sir." He answered simply, hoping Wilde wouldn't expect a long heartfelt apology and promises that he would never do anything questionable ever again. Thankfully Wilde seemed satisfied that his message had been received and left it at that. He clapped Lowe on his shoulder once before walking over to his coat.

"Glad to hear it." he said as he rolled down his shirt sleeves. He shrugged on his coat and gestured to Lowe's own coat lying on the bed. "Hurry up and get dressed Mister Lowe, we don't have all day." He added as he buttoned the last button and placed his cap firmly back on his head, once more the picture perfect image of an officer of the White Star Line. Lowe looked at him in confusion as he shrugged on his own coat.

"Sir?" He asked as Wilde tossed him his cap.

"It's ten minutes into your watch Mister Lowe. We wouldn't want the captain to hear you've been shirking your duties now would we?" Wilde questioned as Lowe set his cap on his head.

"No sir." Lowe replied. "I must have forgotten with all the..." Again Lowe couldn't find the courage to voice the words and again simply gestured. Wilde chuckled at his response as he turned and opened the door.

"I think we can forgive you this once." He gestured for Lowe to precede him and together they made their way to the bridge, one more stiffly than the other. Lightoller and Moody were already there when Wilde and Lowe entered.

"Everything alright Mister Lightoller?" Wilde asked as he glanced in the silent Moody's direction. Lightoller smiled.

"Oh yes sir, Mr. Moody and I had quite a lively _discussion_ on his behavior and I can pretty much guarantee that we will have no more issues from here on." He turned towards the fair haired man in question.

"Won't we Mister Moody?" Lowe could tell that Moody was embarrassed and the fifth officer wondered if the younger man's discussion with Lightoller had been similar to the one he had had with Wilde.

"Yes Sir." Moody replied quietly as he kept his eyes forward towards the horizon. Lightoller turned to regard Lowe as he addressed Wilde.

"And you sir? How was your _discussion_." The statement was simply loaded with not so subtlety hidden meaning. Lowe couldn't look Lightoller in the eye any longer and copied Moody's stance, locking his gaze firmly on the ocean just beyond the bow.

"Through, if I do say so myself." Wilde replied almost proudly. "I think I can speak with confidence Mister Lightoller that Mister Lowe and Mister Moody will no longer cause us any trouble.

"Very good Sir." Lightoller said with approval. Lowe wanted the deck to open up and swallow him. Moody was probably thinking the same.

"Well, let's be off Mister Lightoller and let these officers get on with their duties." Wilde announced as he walked behind Lowe towards the opening in the bridge. Suddenly Lowe felt a hand smack his rear sharply and he bit back a hiss of pain as he hunched his shoulders in surprise. He heard Moody do the same as Lightoller passed behind him.

"Keep a sharp look out boys, I hear icebergs have been sighted." Wilde told the two embarressed officers as he and Lightoller exited the bridge. After they had gone, the two junior officers turned to regaurd the other. Lowe was the first to speak.

"How was it?" He asked. Moody grimaced.

"Bad,...you?" He asked in return. Lowe made a face back.

"The worst I've ever got." He replied simply. The two officer's locked eyes in mutual sympathy for a moment before Lowe sighed.

"Let's never speak of this again." He stated simpley. Moody nodded his head.

"Agreed." He replied and both officer's turned their gazes back to the ocean and the darkening twilight


End file.
